Expenditure Authorisation
Clerk may purchase petty cash items up to £20 per individual item of expenditure.
Non-petty cash expenditure up to £25 per item.
Two councillors’ agreement required for petty cash over £20 per single item of expenditure.
Maximum petty cash expenditure limited to £25.
Non-petty cash expenditure up to £100 per single item.
Finance Committee
Up to £500 per individual item, 2 councillors must approve.
Up to £500 per contract.
These provisions will apply to any emergency work to be carried out.
Apart from petty cash items, all expenditure approved as above to be reported at the first available full council meeting.
Contracts below £4000 per single item may be decided by Finance Committee.
Expenditure over £4000 to be decided by Full Council.
Contractors
All approved contractors must provide, for retention by the Clerk, copies of HMRC PI No., insurance and any other appropriate certificate of competence, i.e. spraying, chain saw, use of chemicals.
Contractors to submit invoices no more frequently than calendar monthly for payment no later than the end of the following calendar month.
Contractor performance to be periodically checked against the contracted works schedule by the designated councillor or clerk as appropriate.
Financial Controls
Cash Book
All receipts and payments will be recorded by the Clerk on a computer-generated spreadsheet (Cash Book) that reflects a proper and auditable record of income and expenditure.
A half-yearly analysis of actual income and expenditure compared to budget will be prepared by the Clerk at the end of March and September to be reviewed by all members present at these meetings.
This analysis will identify significant variances against budget (+/- 10%), with reasons for such variances.
Annual Accounts
The Clerk will prepare an Income and Expenditure Statement for the year ending 31st March to be reviewed by the councillors at the April meeting when the statement should be formally adopted.
A draft Statement of Accounts (Form 106) for the Audit Commission will also be presented to the April parish council meeting with reasons for significant variances from the previous year’s 106.
Petty Cash
The Clerk prefers not to hold petty cash, but will purchase small items of stationery, printer ink and incidental items.
The Clerk will record the above petty cash expenditure and seek periodic reimbursement for items recorded, with receipts attached, in the Petty Cash book.
The Petty Cash book and the reimbursements should be checked no less frequently than every six months by 2 members of the Finance Committee.
Payments
All expenditure will be paid by cheque / BACS against an appropriate invoice.
Invoices will be approved for payment by a member, other than a cheque signatory, prior to the parish council meeting.
Invoices approved for payment will be listed on a Schedule of Payments. This schedule to be initialled by the member who will also initial the reverse of the cheque stub.
Cheques will be signed by 2 councillors on the signatory panel, the Clerk retaining a copy of this signatory panel.
All cheques issued must be posted on the spreadsheet (Cash Book), ideally the day following the council meeting at which they were signed.
The bank balance, as per the spreadsheet (Cash Book), should be reconciled monthly to the balance as per the Bank Statement.
Annual Review
The Financial Risk Management procedures will be reviewed annually in March.
These policies must be read in conjunction with the Financial Regulations approved.
Approval
These procedures were approved by the full council on 16th September 2025.
Minute reference: 25/09/2529.